Sweep amplifier



July 5, 1949.

E. A. KRAUTH SWEEP AMPLIFIER Filed Dec. 20, 1944 www ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PTEN T OFFICE New York, N. Y.,assign0rat0 f lelll'Tlehon'eLaboratories,lncorporateitNew Turk, ,'N. IY., a corporation oi* New "Yori:

Application December 20, 1'94'4, 'Serial No. 568,989

( Cl. 17d-#171) 2 AClaims. l

This invention relatestofan improved type of sweep amplier for use with 'cathode ray foscillo scopes or equivalent devices. More particularly it relates to sweep amplifiers havingan unbalanced input and a balanced output, the output polarity of which can be conveniently reversed.

For vthe purposes of this application lthe polarity of a sweep voltage is tcloebe understood to be rel-ated to the l'direction in which the voltage will cause the ray of anassocia'ted oscilloscope to vbe deected A reversal in lthe polarity of the sweep voltage will'then be `a change such Ias to cause said ray to be vdeflected in the oppositedirection.

This 4type of 'amplifier is particularly 'well adapted for usefwith vspeci-a1'rad-ar systems of the type, for-example,-wnich"isfdescribed-in detail in 4the copending 'application of W. 'I-I. Doherty., Serial No, 570,939, lfiled January 1, 1945, now Patent No. 2,471,264, granted May 24, 1949, and assigned to applicants 'assignee vand vioriuse in which this type 'of amplifier iwas especially designed.

Ampliers of the invention have, "however, other robvious. uses in `which their particular properties are of value, including, for example, stereoscopic systems l:in which "it is desired vto present two adjacent pictures lrepresentinig a left-eye view and-a".righteye view of a particular scene in order toprovide a-sense of depth, or in any system in which'it is desired to 'present two patterns of indications sim-ultaneous'lyand in juxtaposition to facilitate comparison.

A particular object of the inventionis, then, to

provide a sweep amplifier which will provide a balanced output, the "polarity" 'ofwhch can be readily reversed.

Other and further objects willbecome` apparent during the course of the following detailed descripton of an illustrative embodiment of the invention `and from the `appendedfclairns.

in the drawing accompanying this application Fig. 1 shows in electrical schematic 'diagram form an amplifier ofthe invention; and

Figs. 2 and ,3 .show voltage curves :illustrative oi the operation `ofthe ampliiler'of Fig. 1.

VIn more detail inFig. 1,1a suitablesweep voltage wave such, forexainple, as the lindicated sawtooth wave |5553, or the saw-tooth wave |70, is impressed upon input"terminal |02.

A double-pole, .double-throw:switching mechanism i es is` mechanically coupled with aan .electromechanical device l| |"2 which .can be, 'for example, ia solenoid havingfzan larmature :tial .device H2 being v:operated my team 2mm: 9. mutable' source such as battery H6 'when terminals |32 are short-circuited. *In operation, terminals 1|'3'2 are, `ofcourse, connected to an 'external switchlng device (not shown) which will shortQc'ir-cu'it terminals ifduring-the intervals ,in 'which a reversal of the polarity ofthe 4sweepzvoltage appearing `across outputi'terminals |25, |30 'is 'desired, an example of the use "of'this amplifier in airadar system beingdesc'ribcd in detail'in'th'e above-mentioned conan-ding application ofW. IH. Doherty.

iWhen the terminals |32are open-'circuitecL as shown in Fig. l, armature Wll be "released and spring -iilil will contract, drawing "switch toits upper orleft (L) position.

Alternatively, assuming an external control switch tofb'e sh-'ort-circuitingterminals 3'2j,arma ture iii will then loe drawn vto its "lower or right iR) position Vagainst the tension ofthe retractile spring H38, one end of which is anchored to a point HU lof the `chassis 'of vthe amplifier.

The ampliier of Fig. l is of the phase-inverter cat-node type, known to those skilled .'inth'e art, which provides -a balanced loutputbut operetes from an unbalanced input. :The positive terminals of 3D0-volt 'direct 4current potential sources, not shown, but'whlch 'canbe sirnplebatteries, -or suitable rectifiers 'operating from"a'lterhating current supplies, are connected to terminals 'i lS, l2@ and |213, as indicated, Vand't-he positive terminal of a @5U-volt ldirect `current source, not shown, is connected 'toterminal |22 as indicated, of the amplier, for normal opera tion, the 'negative terminalsfof all said sour-ces being grounded. Alternatively, a unitary potentialsource providing F300 volts and +45Uvolts direct current, its negati-ve terminal being grounded, can be elnployed and suit-able isolating impedanoes employed vin the several lcircuits 4just mentioned in accordance *with A'principles vwell known to thos'eskilled in the fart.

With switch '|06 in its upper position, poten-- tiometer Mit provides a convenient means for adjusting the potential grid immediately adjacent the cathode) 'ofpentode vacuum 'tube |538. Similarly with switch lll't in its 'lower position, potentiometer H4 provides means for adjusting 'the potential of the control 'grid of pento'd'e vacuum tube M2. The second or middlegrids -ofsboth of these pentodes are connected together andthrough 'resistor 117311 .to the positive 30D-volt supply normally Aconnected to terminal i126. The :third ierids .(im

\ mcdietely adjacent incomodo?) onwil of the control grid "(the.'

are connected to their respective cathodes, which latter are connected together and through resistor |36 to ground. The anodes of pentodes |38 and |42 connect directly to output terminals |22 and |30 respectively, and through load resistors |453 and |50 respectively, to terminal |22 which is normally maintained at 450 volts (positive) with respect to ground. A voltage divider comprisinng resistors |22 and E54 maintains terminal |20 at a potential mid-way between the potentials at terminals |26 and |30.

In the usual terms employed in the art, with switch in its upper or left position, the circuit including vacuum tube |42 is a single stage amplifier and the circuit including vacuum tube |30 is a phase inverter stage coupled to the amplier stage through the cathode resistor |36, common to these two circuits. This arrangement provides a balanced or push-pull output which is particularly desirable for the present purposes since it is a convenient way to obtain sweep voltages ci the desired magnitude. Furthermore, as is well known to those skilled in the art, the balanced nature of the output maintains good focus of the oscilloscope ray over the entire screen. The phase inverter stage is provided with an independent adjustable direct current biasing circuit for its control grid (i. e., the grid nearest the cathode). This biasing circuit comprises potentiometer |04, the ungrounded terminal of l which is connected to the positive terminal of a 3D0-volt direct current source as previously mentioned.

This use of an adjustable independent bias facilitates the adjustment of the balance of the ampliiier and further contributes towards the ease with which a reversal of the polarity or direction of the amplied sweep wave appearing across terminals |20 and |30 can be effected,

since b-y simply operating the solenoid ||2 (by i the short circuiting of the terminals |32 as described above) to throw switch |06 to its lower (or right) position it is at once evident that the circuit including vacuum tube |38 now becomes the amplifier stage and the circuit including vacuum tube |42 becomes the phase inverter stage. The control grid of this latter stage now derives its bias from potentiometer H0 the ungrounded terminal H8 of which is connected to the positive terminal oi c. D-volt direct current supply source as mentioned above. r`he desired reversal of polarity at terminals |26, |30 is thereby accomplished. The use of a double vertical center line between the two images 0n the screen of an associated oscilloscope, or equivalent indicating device, as shown, for example, by line 230 of Fig. 2 of the above-mentioned application of W. H. Doherty, in combination with the flexibility of adjustment afforded by the provision of an independent adjustable bias on the control grid of either tube |38 or |42, when acting as the phase inverter, facilitates adjustment of the horizontal left and right sweeps to zero since each can then be made to coincide with the nearer one of the lines. If a single line were employed it would be somewhat more difficult to determine when both the right and left horizontal sweep lines had been adjusted to precisely coincide with their respective zero lines without overlapping the other image. Also deviation from the zero lines during normal operation of the system is more readily detected ii two separated zer-o lines are employed.

In passing it should be noted that the insertionofa polarity reversing switch at terminals |26, |30 is not practicable nor desirable because of the high potentials and high impedance levels involved at this point in the circuit.

The operation of the reversible balanced sweep amplifier of Fig. 1 is illustrated by the voltage waves shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 2 illustrates the approximate voltage relations existing at the control grids, plates (anodes), and in the grid-cathode circuits (Egk) of the pentodes |38 and |42 of the amplier 0f Fig. 1 when switch |06 is in the lower or right (R) position. The straight horizontal lines at the left of Fig. 2 show these voltage relations when no sweep impulses are being furnished to terminal |02 of Fig. 1.

Lines 200 and 20| represent the potentials of the anodes of tubes |42 and |38 respectively. Lines 2| 0 and 2|2 represent the potentials of the control grids of tubes |42 and |38 respectively. Lines 220 and 222 represent the potentials developed in the grid cathode circuits of tubes |42 and |38 respectively.

When the sweep is on and sweep pulses, such as |60 or |10, are being furnished to terminal |02, Fig. l, the voltage relations shown at the right oi Fig. 2 obtain. Two successive cycles of the sweep voltage are shown and are, of course, substantially identical.

The anode of tube |42 has its interpulse value of +300 volts, line 200, and rises linearly to a maximum approaching +450 volts, line 202, returning more rapidly, line 206, to +300 Volts, while the anode of tube |38 has an interpulse value of +296 volts, line 20|, which decreases linearly to a minimum approaching volts, line 204, returning more rapidly, line 208, to +296 volts so that the average potential of the anodes of tubes |42 and |38 remains constantly +298 volts. This is, of course, the recognized optimum condition for maintaining a good focus of the beam of the associated cathode ray oscilloscope, throughout the entire sweep of the ray in response to the delecting voltages.

The grid voltage variation of tube |38 is represented by lines 2|2, 2|4 and 2|0 for the abovedescribed variation cycle, the grid oi tube |22 remaining constant, line 2|0.

The grid-cathode circuit voltage cycles for tubes |42 and |38 are represented by lines 220, 228 and 230 and lines 222, 224 and 226 respectively, for the above-described variation cycle of anode potentials.

In Fig. 3 the voltages and their variation cycles are represented for the upper (or left) position of the switch |00. From inspection it is obvious that they are identical but interchanged with respect to the two tubes |42 and |38 so that the output voltages appearing between terminals |20 and |28 and between terminals |30 and |23 are merely interchanged. In other words, for the "no sweep condition illustrated at the left in Fig. 3, the anode potential of tube |30 is now +300 volts, line 3| i, while that of the anode oi tube |42 is +296 volts, line 3|3. The control grid voltage of tube |42 is +300 volts, line 3i2, and that of tube |38 is +29.8 volts, line 3|4. The grid-cathode circuit voltage of tube |42 is 1.8 Volts, line 3|8, and that of tube |30 is 2.0 Volts, line 320.

For the sweep on" condition illustrated to the right of Fig. 3, the anode voltage of tube |33 follows lines 300, 304 an-d 306 and that of tube |42 follows lines 302, 300 and 3|0. The control grid of tube |42 follows lines 3|2, 322 and 324 while that of tube |38 is constant at +292 volts,

line 3 ld. The grid-cathode circuit voltage of tube M2 follows lines 3| 8, 322 and 3213 while that of tube E38 follows lines 320, 32B and 332, as shown in Fig. 3. It is thus apparent that a right or left deiiection of the ray of the oscilloscope from a position near the center of the screen can be obtained by the arrangement of Fig. 1, the direction of sweep being determined by the position of switch |96. It should be noted as a desirable condition that the mean or average value of the anode (or plate) voltages of the two vacuum tubes should be substantially the same for both left and right sweeps as exemplified in Figs. 2 and 3 where the average for both gures is +298 volts.

Numerous other arrangements within the spirit and scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention is dened in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A sweep amplier comprising a pair of vacuum tubes, each tube having at least an anode, a control electrode and a cathode, the cathodes of said tubes being connected together, a resistor connected between the cathodes and ground, an input terminal connected to the control electrode of one tube, an adjustable source of direct curn rent bias potential connected to the control electrode of the other tube, a resistor in each anode circuit connecting the anodes of each of said pair of tubes to the positive terminal of a high voltage direct current supply, said resistors being substantially identical, a pair of output terminals connected to the anodes of said tubes respectively, a second pair of substantially identical resistors connected in series and shunted across said pair of output terminals, a third output terminal connected to the junction of said laststated pair of resistors with each other, a rst switch for disconnecting the control electrode of said one tube from the input terminal of said amplifier and connecting it to a second adjust able source of direct current bias potential, and

a second switch mechanically ganged with said rst switch for simultaneously disconnecting the control electrode of said other tube from said first-stated adjustable source of direct current bias potential and connecting it to said input ter minal of said amplifier.

2. An unbalanced input, balancedoutput, sweep ampliiier which includes in combination a pair of vacuum tubes each having at least a cathode, an anode and a control-electrode, said cathodes being connected together, a resistor connected between said cathodes and ground, a pair of independent adjustable control-electrode bias sources associated with said pair of vacuum tubes, respectively, an ungrounded input terminal, and a pair of two position switching means connecting to the control-electrodes of said pair of vacuum tubes, respectively, each switching means being operable to connect, in one position, its associated control-electrode to said ungrounded input terminal and, in the other position, to the associated one of said independent adjustable control-electrode bias sources, respectively, said pair of switching means being ganged, or connected together mechanically, so that when one control electrode is connected to said ungrounded input terminal, the other control electrode is connected to its associated independent adjustable control electrode bias source and vice versa.

EDWIN A. KRAUTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

